Gardening with Indigenous Plants
Indigenous Plant Use
Identification & Control of Common Weeds
| Botanical Name: | Eucalyptus viminalis 3 synonyms: Eucalyptus angustifolia, Eucalyptus gunnii, Eucalyptus viminalis var. rhynchocorys |
| Common Name: | manna gum, ribbon gum, white gum |
| Sold As: | Tube ($2.00) |
| Plant Type(s): | Large Tree (over 6 m), Bee Attracting, Bird Attracting, Butterfly Attracting, Insect Attracting, Indigenous Plant Use |
| Indigenous Plant Use: | Sugary sap can be eaten, and flowers soaked in water make a sweet drink.CAUTION: Many plants are poisonous if not collected and prepared properly! |
| Growing Conditions: | Full Sun
Moist |
| Size (HxW): | 10-50 m x 8-15 m |
| Foliage: | Leaves hanging, glossy dark green, juvenile leaves paired, stalkless and lance-shaped to 65 mm long, adult narrower, to 20 cm long. |
| Flowers: | White, January-May. Buds egg-shaped on a flattened stalk, in clusters of 3. Fruit round with 3-4 projecting valves. |
| General Comments: | Excellent shade tree for large gardens and parkland. Drier soils will produce shorter trees. Frost hardy. Honey production. Food & habitat resource for birds, koalas and possums. Food plant for caterpillars Smooth white bark sheds in ribbons. Manna refers to the sweet crumbly white gum (a sugary material) exuded from the bark which can be eaten raw and is available in summer. It is a very pleasant, sweet taste and eaten by Indigenous peoples. This eucalyptus is the primary diet of koalas and will attract a large range of animals, with a sweet honey, and a good sugar content within its leaves. |
 Further Information: |
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| Plant Propagation: | Propagation is from seed which germinates readily but cannot be guaranteed to come true to type. |
